docs: def split_key(key, max_keys=0):
      """Splits a key but allows dots in the key name if they're scaped properly.
  
      Splitting this complex key:
  
      complex_key = ".dont\.splitme.d\.o\. origen.splitme\.dontsplit.splitme."
      split_key(complex_key)
  
      results in:
  
      ['', 'dont\.splitme', 'd\.o\. origen', 'splitme\.dontsplit', 'splitme', '']
  
  
      Args:
          key (basestring): The key to be splitted.
          max_keys (int): The maximum number of keys to be extracted. 0 means no
              limits.
  
      Returns:
          A list of keys
      """
      parts = [x for x in re.split(SPLIT_REGEX, key) if x != "."]
      result = []
      while len(parts) > 0:
          if max_keys > 0 and len(result) == max_keys:
              break
          result.append(parts.pop(0))
  
      if len(parts) > 0:
          result.append(".".join(parts))
      return result